Weaning A Baby
According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of weaning is accustoming a young mammal to take food otherwise than by nursing. The word weaning means introducing food other than mother’s milk to the baby’s diet. The food to introduce is steadily increased. As a result, the baby will not depend on your breast milk anymore and the baby is off breast milk completely. Gradual weaning is the process of slowly removing one feeding every couple of days or weeks. Instead of the original nursing scheduled, the mother offers an alternative form of nutrition for her baby. This is repeated until all nursing has ceased.
As part of growth and development, the baby does not get all the nutrients she needs like calcium, protein and iron from mother’s milk alone. Furthermore, the baby’s sense of taste develops and he will be more inclined towards new foods, tastes and textures. The purpose of weaning is not only to introduce the baby to regular food, but also to help the baby develop a wide range of tastes.
When Is The Best Time To Start Weaning Your Baby
According to some experts,your baby’s first birthday is the best time to begin weaning because children are more ready for change at that age. Besides, your baby will nurse until he outgrows the need, and this is called natural or baby-led weaning. Abrupt weaning should always be avoided if possible, for the sake of both you and your baby. If you suddenly stop breastfeeding, your breasts might become engorged, and you may develop a breast infection or breast abscess. Your hormone levels drop abruptly, and depression can result. Mothers with a history of depression especially should consider this when making decisions about weaning.
What Are The Reason Why Mothers Wean Their Babies
Sometimes women wean because they need to go back to work. Some women can work and breastfeed, most women will choose to wean their baby because their workplace is not amendable to breastfeeding.
Another reason is women want their body back. Certainly, if you feel awkward, it may be best to wean instead of continuing to breastfeed. Weaning baby will give you more physical and emotional freedom. And that is very important because an unhappy mother will find it difficult to truly love and nurture her baby.
How To Wean Your Baby Off The Breast
- Do it slowly and not abruptly. Abrupt weaning may be traumatic to both baby and mother. It can lead to uncomfortable engorgement and mastitis in a woman’s breast. Mastitis is an infection that can cause fever and flulike symptoms, as well as pain, hardness, redness, or heat in your breast.
- Only offer the breast when the babyshows that he wants it. If the baby seems distracted or not interested when you feed him, or latches on for only a few seconds, it may be a sign that it’s a good time to start weaning.
- Offer your baby a substitute for the breast. If the baby is less than 1 year old, you can use formula as a substitute to make sure he gets the nutrition he needs. If the baby is more than 1 year old, you can offer variety of foods and drinking from a cup. You can also distract him with a fun game or activity.
- Keep your baby occupied by going to the park, taking a walk or playing in the garden.
- Show him your love and affection. Weaning can make babies feel vulnerable for a while, and your baby may need added reassurance that you still love him.
- If you wean your baby from breast to bottle, avoid putting her to bed with a bottle. It can cause choking and promotes tooth decay.
- If your baby is bottle feeding and is 8 months old of age, give her a sippy cup for use during one meal. Don’t fill it up, but let him drink some juice or milk from it every day. Start with one meal each day, and after a week, add the cup to another meal.
Weaning Your Baby Onto Solid Foods
It is generally agreed by experts that from 6 months on, a baby would need not just milk. However, infants who exhibit poor growth or iron deficiency anaemia may be weaned earlier, between 4 to 6 months, as advised by mosthealth care provider. Weaning too early such as at 2 to 3 months could result in problems in digestion and there is also a higher risk of developing a food allergy. In addition, if the baby is weaned too late, the baby may not get enough nutrition and this may lead to growth retardation.
6 to 9 months
Weaning when your baby is about 6 months old is safer because this is the usual time for babies to start to eat solid food. Food should be only slightly thicker than milk so that the baby can eat it off the spoon easily. Start with liquid paste and progress to semi-solid foods. The baby’s milk feed should be given first and followed by the food, since at this time offering solid foods are only meant to introduce different kinds of food to the baby and to get accustomed to spoon-feeding. Milk should still remain the main source of nourishment.
9 to 12 months
Weaning between 9 to 12 months of age is also common because some babies wean themselves at this age. As part of growth and development, he will be ready for foods of different textures and tastes. Your baby’s food need not be in a milky consistency anymore. At this time, the baby can eat almost all foods that your family eats. However, the food needs to be cut in small pieces or in flakes form to be liked by your baby. You can also include bread, eggs, pasta or other wheat based foods containing gluten. Your baby can also be introduced to finger foods like teething toys or biscuits.
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